be your father?” The question was out of her mouth before she could halt the words.
Kir predictably stiffened. He was still raw from Rudolf ’s sudden death. “My father? What about him?”
“Could he be the link between all the women?”
His lips flattened, but with a visible effort, he appeared to consider her question. “We know he was very fond of you, but I don’t remember him mentioning the other women.” He spoke slowly, as if searching through his memories. “Of course, it’s a small town. I’m sure he knew all of them.”
Lynne suddenly felt foolish. She was grasping at straws. “It was just a thought.”
“A good one,” he insisted. “How do you feel about having a drink at the Bait and Tackle?”
Her heart fell to her toes. The Bait and Tackle was on her list of places never to visit again. “Is that a trick question?”
He sent her a sympathetic smile. “I know it’s probably not your favorite place, but Rita King should be there tonight.”
The name meant nothing to Lynne. “I don’t think I know her.”
“She’s my dad’s old drinking buddy. She’s the only one I can think of who would know if he had a connection to the women.”
Lynne pressed her hand to her stomach. It was twisted into a tangle of tight knots. “Can’t we just invite her to the house?”
He considered her request before shaking his head in regret. “I’d rather keep our meeting casual. She might refuse to answer if she’s afraid of getting involved in police business.”
“We’re not the police.”
“If she gives us information that will help solve the case, we’ll certainly turn it over to the sheriff.”
“True.” Lynne blew out a sigh of resignation. “Okay.”
“I’ll pick you up here at six. We’ll have dinner and then go to the bar,” he told her. “We want to talk to Rita before she has more than a couple of beers.”
She held up a warning hand. “As long as I don’t have an emergency. I’m on call tonight.”
His brows drew together. “You can’t stay here alone.”
Lynne didn’t take commands, not from anyone. But right now she understood Kir’s worry. She would be an idiot to be alone in the clinic when it was obvious the killer seemingly felt free to wander in and out. “If I have to go out on a call, I’ll take one of my interns with me. If someone comes to the clinic, then I’ll ask Bernadine to stay a few extra hours.”
He looked confused. “Bernadine?
“She worked for Dad as his receptionist until he retired and moved to Florida,” Lynne explained. “I asked her to stay on, but she claimed she was overwhelmed by the new computer system.” She glanced toward the closed door. “Today I intend to get down on my knees and beg her to return. She’s amazing with the patients, and always willing to stay late when she’s needed. I can teach her to use a computer, but I can’t teach someone loyalty.” She shook her head in sad regret. “Either you have it or you don’t.”
“What about Chelsea?”
Lynne shrugged. She hadn’t been surprised when she’d arrived at work to discover Chelsea had already called in sick. It would obviously be best for everyone involved if she decided to find a new job. “I’ll talk to Chelsea later,” she murmured, eagerly turning the conversation away from the painful subject. “What are you going to do this afternoon?”
“Since I’m spending a few extra days in town, I decided to paint the living room at Dad’s place,” he told her. “And I’ll bring his truck to your house.”
She managed a weak smile. “Thanks.”
“You’re actually doing me a favor. I need to clean out the garage but there’s barely room to squeeze in there right now.” He grabbed her fingers and gently tugged her to her feet. Then, framing her face in his hands, he brushed his lips over her mouth. “I’ll see you at six. If you need anything, just call. I’ll come running.”
A tingling excitement chased away the dark dread that had been plaguing her all morning. She’d never been so relieved in her life. Eagerly she arched against his hard body, absorbing his warmth.
“Running?” she teased.
He brushed another kiss over her mouth. And then another, and another.
“Running,” he murmured against her lips.
She grasped the lapels of his leather jacket, her knees going weak in the best way. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “If you forget, I’ll remind you.”
Chapter 17
It was nearing eight o’clock when Kir led